Lot 67: A FABERGÉ IMPERIAL GEM-SET BOWENITE, GOLD AND ENAMEL PARASOL HANDLE, WORKMASTER MICHAEL PERCHIN, ST. PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1895

A FABERGÉ IMPERIAL GEM-SET BOWENITE, GOLD AND ENAMEL PARASOL HANDLE, WORKMASTER MICHAEL PERCHIN, ST. PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1895 the handle set with a carved, cushion-shaped piece of bowenite surmounted with a raised disk of lilac enamel over a wavy guilloché ground encircled by a band of rose diamonds, the collar with lilac enamel over a wavy guilloché ground with a series of bright-cut gold bands, with a gold band at the top and a rose diamond band at the bottom marked with Fabergé in Cyrillic, workmaster's initials, and 56 standard, also with scratched inventory number 57865 height 2 3/4 in. (excluding screw) 7 cm

Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Fedorovna
Christie's, Geneva, May 12, 1981, lot 75.

Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Fedorovna purchased this parasol handle jointly, splitting the cost between their two chancelleries, on October 28, 1897 for 185 rubles. Such joint purchases were generally intended for gifts to Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna, or other members of the Imperial family, and we can speculate that the parasol handle was intended as a birthday gift for the Maria Fedorovna, who was born on 14 (26) November. We are grateful to Svetlana Chestnykh for assistance in researching this lot.